If only you will respond to my rebuke, then I will pour out my thoughts to you and I will make my words known to you.

But if you ever turn away and make alliances with these nations that remain near you, and intermarry with them and establish friendly relations with them,

So it happened that the Jews who were living near them came and warned us repeatedly about all the schemes they were plotting against us.

For if you return to the Lord, your brothers and sons will be shown mercy by their captors and return to this land. The Lord your God is merciful and compassionate; he will not reject you if you return to him.”

“I thought to myself, ‘Oh what a joy it would be for me to treat you like a son! What a joy it would be for me to give you a pleasant land, the most beautiful piece of property there is in all the world!’ I thought you would call me, ‘Father’ and would never cease being loyal to me.